Our role in responding to global challenges is set out in our position statements on Climate Change and Water Stewardship and our approach to environmental management in the Environment Global Standard, Climate Change Global Standard, Water Management Global Standard and Closure and Legacy Management Global Standard. We also have company-level public environmental targets and longer-term goals for water, biodiversity and greenhouse gas emissions and report publicly on a range of indicators in metrics, which are available on our website.
We identify, assess and control risks in accordance with the Risk Management Global Standard and work in partnership with others to contribute to a resilient environment.
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What this means for you
You must understand the potential environmental risks, threats and opportunities, of the tasks you perform in accordance with the Environment Global Standard, Climate Change Global Standard, Water Management Global Standard and Closure and Legacy Management Global Standard. You must also understand environmental regulatory requirements relating to the tasks you perform and look at ways to avoid, minimize and rehabilitate impacts to air, water, land, cultural values and biodiversity, including greenhouse gas emissions. Where actual or potential environmental events occur, including non-compliances with environmental regulatory requirements, you must report these in BHP’s Event Management system, regardless of severity.
Those who work with us are encouraged to actively contribute to improving our environmental performance and comply with our environmental requirements, including at an Asset level. Refer to the Environment Global Standard, Climate Change Global Standard, Water Management Global Standard and Closure and Legacy Management Global Standard or speak to your primary BHP contact for more information about our environmental requirements or any suggestions you have on how we can improve environmental stewardship.
Always
• Immediately stop any work that may contribute to a significant environmental or community event such as an accident, incident, spill or release of material.
• Report any actual or potential impact to the environment or communities from an environmental event to your line leader or 2Up leader (don’t assume someone else will report).
• Identify, understand and comply with any environmental and regulatory requirements that relate to your work, including any land disturbance, water, air, biodiversity, dust, noise and waste management requirements.
• Identify, assess and take steps to avoid and minimise adverse environmental impacts associated with your work and take opportunities to improve environmental performance.
• Encourage those who work with us and our customers to minimise their environmental impacts and take opportunities to improve performance.
Never
• Operate in a location or way that is not in accordance with the
Environment Global Standard,
Climate Change Global Standard,
Water Management Global Standard,
Closure and Legacy Management Global Standard, local regulatory requirements, or site environmental procedures.
• Undertake work that has the potential to impact on the environment unless you are trained and competent to do so and controls are in place to minimise environmental impacts.
• Engage contractors, suppliers, customers or joint venture partners without an assessment that takes into account their environmental and community impacts, risks, controls and performance.
Hypothetical scenarios
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Q: Our waste is disposed off-site by a licensed waste facility that is audited by our regulators. Do I also have to review their performance?A: Yes, you should review the performance of all suppliers to ensure they manage their environmental performance appropriately. Direct, indirect and cumulative environmental impacts and their associated risks and controls need to be assessed by BHP. This includes environmental impacts associated with our direct operational activities, impacts from others as a result of activities on which our operations rely and impacts from others that may increase the severity of our own impacts.
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Q: When it rains, I have noticed overflows of water from site to a neighbouring creek. What should I do?A: Report the issue as an event, seek advice from your site environmental personnel and make operations aware of the issue. An investigation will need to occur to determine whether there are any potential impacts from the overflow to the creek or surrounding environment. Reporting the issue as an event will also ensure any regulatory agencies are notified if appropriate, an analysis of the incident, root causes, preventative actions and learnings are disseminated, and any required corrective actions can be completed.
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Q: I notice the way we are doing our work has the potential for dust emissions and other environmental impacts. I think there is a better way of doing it that could result in lower emissions. What should I do?A: We are always looking to minimise adverse environmental impacts and maximise opportunities for positive environmental outcomes from our activities so raise your suggestions with your line leader or 2Up leader. You can also check with the site’s environmental team that your suggestions are in line with regulatory permits.
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View more Hypothetical Scenarios
How to speak up
If you have questions about Our Code, speak to your line leader, 2Up leader, Ethics and Investigations, Compliance, or Legal. Employee Relations or a HR Business Partner can direct you to the relevant reporting options available. You can also seek further information and resources via BHP’s RespectChat. Anyone who works with us, on our behalf, or is associated with us, can also raise misconduct concerns via Integrity@BHP or the BHP Protected Disclosure Reporting Channel.
Online: Make a report in either Integrity@BHP or the BHP Protected Disclosure Reporting Channel.
Phone: You can also contact the BHP Protected Disclosure Reporting Channel by phone.
Download Our Code
- Our Code - English pdf 4786230
- Our Code Glossary - English pdf 145753
- Our Code Scenarios - English pdf 3018588
- Our Code - Spanish pdf 5131215
- Our Code Glossary - Spanish pdf 66545
- Our Code Scenarios - Spanish pdf 3018910
- Our Code - Portuguese pdf 5168599
- Our Code Glossary - Portuguese pdf 150409
- Our Code Scenarios - Portuguese pdf 3033699
- Our Code - Chinese pdf 5593896
- Our Code Glossary - Chinese pdf 304017
- Our Code Scenario - Chinese pdf 3606749
- Our Code - Malaysian pdf 5170888
- Our Code Glossary - Malaysian pdf 139438
- Our Code Scenarios - Malaysian pdf 3018261